• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

A Warners ‘Matrix 5’ Battle & The NFL’s Sunday Ticket Showdown

News and notes from around the entertainment law universe: The looming battle over the F.C.C.’s ability to deregulate media ownership; the latest twists in the NFL’s ongoing antitrust drama over Sunday Ticket; and the lingering derivative rights questions following Alcon Entertainment’s deal to acquire Village Roadshow’s film library for $417.5 million.

the matrix resurrections Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Sequels and spinoffs couldn’t simply be inherited by Alcon in the bankruptcy: If someone else wanted to join the party for The Matrix 5, they would have to be invited by Warners. Photo: Murray Close/Getty Images
Eriq Gardner
June 24, 2025

Most obituaries will remember Fred Smith, who died this week, as the FedEx founder who created the modern framework for global logistics. But in Hollywood, Smith’s legacy is intertwined with The Blind Side, The Book of Eli, and Blade Runner 2049—titles backed by Alcon Entertainment, the studio he co-founded and helped fund with a rare combination of big money and creative patience.